Woven fabric



Aug/19, 1 941. H. c. HAsKELl.

WOVEN FABRIC Filed March 29, 1940 ATTORN Y BYZ Patented Aug. 1-9, 1941 xwovEN FABRIC Henry C. Haskell,V Moosup, Conn., assigner to Brunswick Worsted Mills, Inc., Moosup, Conn., a corporation of Rhode Island Application March 2Q, 1940, Serial No. 326,695`

9 claims.

This invention relates to a woven fabric and more particularly to a fabric woven with woolen yarn, with worsted yarn, with yarn containing a.

mixture of wool with other fibres, or with a combination of such yarns, which has a predominant dark diagonal visual effect-of the type distinctive to sharkskin worsted and sharkskin cheviot fabrics. The fabric of this invention `has,rin gen-'- eral, the appearance of a conventional sharkskin fabric, although the distinctive sharkskin features are not as pronounced as in ordinary sharkskin fabric. However, the sharkskin features are suiliciently apparent to permit the novel fabric of thisinvention to compete with, and findA use as a substitute for sharkskinfabrics.

Ordinary worsted and cheviot sharkskins are used extensively in the fabrication of mens suitings, and to a lesser extent for other apparel, both mens and womens, and are generally desirable because of the unique appearance of the fabric. The individuality of sharkskin is'inherent in the fabric and is dependent upon the particular combination of a certainy weave with a certain warp and weft design. The weave is a two-and-two twill and the warp and weft design results from interweaving alternate dark and light .weft threads with alternate dark and light warp threads. duced on a plain single shuttle loom or on an automatic box loom, and conventional sharkskln is commonly woven on a pick-and-pick loom,one shuttle feeding the dark and the other shuttle v feeding the light weft thread in alternation.

I have discovered that it is possible to weave on automatic looms a fabric, which, for the pur-v poses of the trade, simulates the distinctive sharksl-:inr features suiiiciently to permit the use of the fabric as a sharkskn substitute but which, in fact, has an individual pleasing and unique appearance due to the presence of weft threads, not ,of two different shades in alternation asin conventional sharkslrin, but of a. single same AEine. highly important feature of the fabric of thisK invention, then, is lthat it may be woven on an automatic `plain or box loom, thereby not only increasing the speed of production but lessening labor costs to such an extent as to permit a subf almost equal importance in evaluating the advantages of the fabric'of this invention over conventional sharkskin is itssuperiorv uniformity of 55 Obviously, such fabrics cannot be pro- (o1. 13a-3ssl appearance. v In conventional sharkskin, having alternate dark and light shade worsted yarns in both the warp and the weft,`the manufacturer meets a serious problem in the Amatter of rejects.

5 All worsted or woolen yarns vary so in size due to Y spinning orother Variations inherent in the yarn manufacture, thatwhen woven into a fabric, a light or dark colored yarn in a portion of a pick or in a portion of a warp willstand'out, and so :l0 catch 4the -eye in contrast to a dark or light colofredadjacent yarn that the even appearance of the `design is marred. Conventional sharkskinfabrics must always be examined for these imperfections. Since, however, their occurrence is 15 almost completely unavoidable, conventional sharkskin rejects may run 'high and usually exf ceed 5% of a totall production. Even 'so-called* regular goods, which are acceptable, are characteristically and undesirablyA uneven in appearf 20 ance. As will be seen, where a'weft yarnof a single shade is utilized, as in thefabric of this invention, imperforations of the type justenumerated will be entirely obviated sofar afs the weft is concerned, thus reducing Vby halfA the possi-'U `35- bility of u`nevenness in appearance. ,As 'a matter of fact, it has been found that the uniformity l.

of appearance of the fabric of this inventionis such that there-are only isolated. instances 'of re-U jects due to the type of imperfection under dis- 30 cussion. V

It has been found'that if the color and shade of the single weft yarn usedin the manufacture of the fabric'of this invention is chosen with due.

regard to the colors and shades of V'alternating imparted by a conventional sharkskn fabric as to permit the sale and use ofthe fabric of4 this invention as a substitute-but by no means an inferior substitute-for conventional sharkskin, and at a substantial saving in manufacture cost.

The preferred fabric herein described-is thus produced by utilizing a twofand-two ltwill weave with dark and light warp yarns alternating infthe` warp and with a single same `weft yarn inter woven with thel warps and having a color'and shade so chosen with regard Ato the colors and shades of the warp. yarns thatgthe resulting fab;-

ric will have the desiredappearance.l The'fabkric, then, in its simplestform, is a three-'shade fabric as distinguished from a conventional twoshade or four-shade sharkskin and has therefore. in certain of its aspects a different appearance from conventional sharkskin fabric, though the difference in appearance is not as pronounced as the similarity.

Preferably, as in conventional sharkskin, the warp yarns are of two different shades. Under such circumstances, the single shade weft yarn may be of the same general color as both the warp yarns, but, in any case, the shade of the single weft yarn should be intermediate, and desirably approximately half-way between, the two shades of the warp yarns.

For example, in .the drawing there is shown an enlarged fragment of a fabric manufactured in accordance with this invention. In this drawing, the vertical yarns represent warp yarns and the horizontal yarns represent weft yarns. Thus, the warp yarns include a set of. light warp yarns I interspersed alternately with dark warp yarns 20 and the weft yarns 30 are of a third shade and substantially all identical in shade, lthese weft yarns being interwoven with the warp yarns. in'a' two-and-two twill as shown.

The invention may be applied in the production of fabrics of a multitude of colors. For instance, if the warp yarn includes white and black alternate. yarns, a gray weft 'yarn may be used. Likewise, three shades of blue, three shades of brown, 30 three shades of green, or three shades of other colors may be incorporated in the production of fabrics of this invention." In addition, white plus two shades of blue, brown, green, respectively, etc., may be employed. Thus, in each case. the lightest shade found in one set of warp yarns, l0 in the drawing, may approach or even be white,

v and the darkest shade found in the other set of `weave of the type shown in the drawing, will present what can be called a left-handed staircase effect, due, as the drawing reveals, to the presenec of predominant dark diagonal staircaselike broken lines extending from the bottom rightofA thefragment to the top left. One of such diagonal lines is indicated by the extension line A-A. Upon close inspection, it will be revealed that the dark line iect A-A is formed by the continuous adjacencyJof dark and intermediate shade yarns only. Each of the dark diagonals n like A-A is separated from an adjacent dark diagonal by a predominantly light diagonal such as B-B, formed by the continuous diagonal adjacency of white and intermediate shade yarns only.

The diagonals extending in the opposite direc- Ption, that is, from bottom left to. top right, present as quite/a different appearance, involving either continuous alternating adjacency of dark and light shade yarns only, as in the diagonal C-C, or solid continuous adjacency of intermediate shade yarns, as in the diagonal D-D. The left to right diagonal D-D is therefore of the intermediate Y shade. The left to right diagonal C-C, being a composite of 'light and dark shade yarns only, gives a blend effect equivalent to the intermediate diagonals both give the eiect of blends, one of which, A-A, being a composite of the dark and intermediate shade yarns only, gives atotal effect equivalent to a shade just under dark, and the ,other 0f Which, B-B, being a composite of light and intermediate shade yarns only, gives a total effect equivalent to a shade slightly darker than light. Obviously, the contrast between diagonals A-A and B-B is much greater than any contrast between diagonals C-C and D-D. Furthermore, of the four diagonals, the diagonal A-A will tend to appear the darkest. and it is this presencel of a single darkest blend diagonal, contrasted with a lightest blend diagonal, which gives the predominating distinctive left-hand "staircase effect which is common to this fabric and to conventional sharkskin.

As will be understood, a fabric could be woven which' would have a right-handed staircase" effect by making suitable variation in the type of two-and-two twill weave utilized. That is, the heddle action, instead of being I, 2, 3, 4; l, 2, 3, 4; etc., would be 4, 3, 2I; 4, 3, 2, I; etc. And by interspersing the latter weave with the former, a herring-bone twill may be secured with the heddle action l, 2, 3, 4; 2, I, 4, 3; l, 2, 3, 4; 2, I, 4, 3; etc.

Likewise, silk design or plaid threads may be introduced at desired points, either-in the warp or the lling. but the general background weave and appearance remains the same and in accordance with the invention. Of course if plaid filling is desired, an automatic box loom or similarly acting loom will be necessary.

The individual yarn of Ythe three dierent shades or mixture of shades may be produced in a number of different manners, First, of course, single ply yarn may be used, individually dyed to .three different shades. Multiply yarn dyed inA the same manner mayA be utilized. Moreover, the use of multi-ply yam suggests a ready method of obtaining the intermediate shade. Thus, a two-ply weft yarn may be formed from two individual plies, one of which is the shade of the dark warp yarn and the other of which is the shade of the light warp yarn. Preferably, if two-ply yarn is used in the weft, it is also used in the warp. A further method of securing the intermediate weft shade is by spinning into a single thread filaments of two different shades, one lament shade being substantially the same as that of the dark warp yarn and the` other filament shade being substantially the same as that of the light warp yarn. Other methods of preparing a weft yarn of the proper shade will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. A y

As an illustration of a suitame worsted fabric' manufactured in accordance with this invention, a two-ply both ways fabric having a yarn size of %2s in both the warp andthe weft may be woven with' a 70 by 60 count. Coarser yarn numbers and coarser constructions accentuate the sharkskin elect.

Of course the fabric of this 'invention may be produced by utilizing a warp of a. single shade, and alternating light and dark wefts. However,

"suchfabric would have to be woven on a pickand-pick loom and, therefore, while it would secure the advantage of greater uniformity as compared with conventional sharkskin, it would notl overcome the necessity of utilizing a pickand-pick loom, and would not have the economic had on th other hand the right to left \advantage over conventional sharkskin fabric of the fabric woven with a single weft thread in action.

The fabric of this invention, therefore-provides a wholly satisfactory simulated sharkskin fabric, which has unusual advantages in its.relatively low cost of production and in its pleasing appea'rance, the latter being afforded in part by its uniformity and evenness and in part by its unique three-shade background weave. Y

I claim:

1. A woven simulated sharkskin fabric consisting of two sets of yarn, one of said sets forming' the warp and the other forming theweft, of said fabric, one of said sets consisting essentially of alternating light and dark yarns, and

the other of said'sets consisting essentially of adjacent strands of yarn of the same general color as the color of one of said light and dark 2. A woven simulated sharkskin fabric consisting of two sets of yarn, one of said sets forming -the warp and the other forming the weft of said fabric, one of said sets consisting essentially of black and substantially white yarns alternating consecutively, and the other of said sets consisting essentially of adjacent strands of gray yarn, said warp and'weft being interwoven in a two-and-two twill weave and the fabric being characterized by the predominant dark diagonal visual effect in one diagonal direction distinctive to a conventional-sharkskinfabric.

3. A woven simulated sharkskin fabric consisting essentially of light and dark yarns alternating in the warp and a weft yarn of the same general color as the color of one of said light and dark yarns and of a shade approximately half-way between the shades of said light and dark yarns, said weft yarn being interwoven with said warp in successive adjacent picks in a twoand-two twill weave, the fabric being characterized by the predominant dark diagonal visual effect in one diagonal direction distinctive to a conventional sharkskin fabric.

4. A woven simulated sharkskin fabric consisting essentially of light and dark yarns of the same general color alternating in the warp and a weft yarn of the same general color as the color of said warp yarns and of a shade intermediate the two shadesv of said light and dark yarn, said weft yarn being interwoven with said warp in successive adjacent picks`in a two-and-twol twill weave, the fabric being characterized by the predominant dark diagonal visual effect in one diagonal direction distinctive toa conventional sharkskin fabric. v

5. A woven simulated sharkskin fabric consisting essentially of black and substantially whitev yarns alternating in theV warp and a gray weft yarn interwoven with said warp in successive adjacent picks in a two-and-two twill weave, the fabric being characterized by the predominant dark diagonal visual effect in one diagonal direction distinctive to a conventional sharkskin fabric.

6. A woven simualted sharkskin fabric in accordance with the fabric claimed in claim l, in which the weave isa herringbone two-and-two twill -weave and the diagonal visual effect is in alternate diagonal directions in adjacent warpwise panels of said fabric.

'7. A woven simulated sharkskin fabric in-accordance with the fabric claimed in claim l, in which design threads are interspersed throughout the warp of said fabric.

8. A woven simulated sharkskin fabric in accordance with the fabric claimed in claim 1, in which plaid threads are interspersed throughout the weft of said fabric.

9. A woven simulated sharkskin fabricv in accordance with the fabric claimed in claim 1,-in which design threads are interspersed throughout the warp and weft of said fabric.

HENRY C. HASKELL 

